Pile construction.



J W RIPLEY PILE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908. RENEWEDAPR. 2, 1914. 1,124,965.,

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

naJJJA 1 THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHU

JOHN W. RIPLEY, OF FLUSIIING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO MONKS-RIPLEY FILECOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PIL-E CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed June 2, 1908, Serial No. 436,271. Renewed April 2,1914. Serial No. 829,139.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. RIPLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Flushing, county of Queens,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPile Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of piling or analogous columnsfor use in docks, bridges, building construction and the like.

An important object of my invention is to provide for a reinforcement orstrengthening of wooden piles.

Further objects are to protect wooden piles from the attack of sea wormsand the like, to provide for the joining of two or more lengths ofpiling into a single pile as where great length is desired, and toprovide improved means for sinking the piles.

The fundamental principle upon which my invention rests is the wrappingof metallic fabric such as wire mesh, expanded metal and the liketogether with concrete or the like about the wooden pile, preferably twoor more layers of the metal fabric and concrete being employed. Toprovide for sinking the pile, I may inclose a flushing pipe or otherconduit embedded in the wrapper just described. Where two or morelengths or sections of piling are to be formed into a single pile ofgreat length, I employ reinforcing bars of metal or other suitablesubstance which are embedded in the wrapper.

In order that others skilled in this art may understand and practise myinvention, I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawing showing by way ofexample some of the preferred forms of theinvention.

In said drawings Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a woodenpile pro vided with a wrapper of metal fabric and concrete or the like.Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in section illustrating a form of myinvention in which the reinforcing wrapper extends substantiallythroughout the entire length of the pile, and in which is embedded aflushing conduit. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a form of myinvention in which two lengths of piling are joined by reinforcing bars,and a wrapper of reinforcing fabric and concrete or the like, and Fig. Lis a transverse section of the form of my invention shown in Fig. 3,

also illustrating the manner in which the w iapper may be rolled, in allforms of the p1 e.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings 10 indicates the woodencenter which has wrapped about it two or more layers of metal fabric 11and concrete or the like 12, preferably with a thin outside layer 13 ofcement, mortar or the like for filling in the open spaces left on theoutside of the wrapper in the rolling of the wrapper upon the woodencenter. In this form of my invention the Wrapper extends preferably toabout four feet below the mud line and to about two feet above the highwater line, although'I do not wish to limit the construction to thesespecific dimensions.

In Fig. 2, 20 is a wooden center upon which is wound two or more layersof metal fabric 21 and concrete or the like 22, a flushing conduit 23being disposed next to the wooden centerembedded in the wrapper. A thinoutside layer 24 of cement or the like is preferably applied after thepile has been wrapped, to fill in any crevices left in the process ofwrapping. Reinforcing bars or rods 25 may be employed, where additionalstrength is desired. In this form of pile the wrapper extendssubstantially throughout the entire length of the pile. In sinking thepile water may be supplied to the flushing conduit 23 at the top anddischarged at the lower end of the pile to flush out the mud or bottomto permit the pile to sink in well known manner. I

In Fig. 3 I have represented the joining of twolengths of piling toproduce a single pile of great length. In this figure 30 and 31represent the adjacent ends of the two lengths of wooden piling to bejoined to form the wooden center of the finished pile, which arepreferably out oif diametrically to form a butt joint. Reinforcing bars32, preferably of metal, may be placed against the sides of the adjacentends of the piling and about these are wound two or more turns of metalfabric 33 and concrete or the i to fill in the crevices left in theprocess of.

rollmg.

In Fig. 4E it will be seen that the wooden center 40 has secured to itone end of a metal fabric 41 by nails, spikes or the like 4-2. Thesenails are preferably about two feet apart lengthwise of the pile, and arow of nails is driven through the first layer of metal fabric into thewooden center at intervals of about four inches around (shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2). After the end of the metal fabric which is providedwith the cement has been secured to the pile, the pile may be rotated soas to become enveloped in the wrapper. This may be done by suitably journaling the wooden center and rotating it while a moving platformhearing the wrapper is fed under it; by rolling the Wooden center alongupon the wrapper on a stationary platform; or by rotating the woodencenter in stationary journals and causing it to draw the wrapper. Theouter end of the metal fabric may be suitably secured by nails or thelike, and after the rolling has been completed, a thin outside layer ofcement, mortar or the like may be applied to fill the crevices ifdesired. This method of construction may be followed in constructing allforms of the piling illustrated.

In the act of driving the pile, the hammer causes a vibration ortemporary com pression of some kind in the core, which has a tendency toloosen the nails or spikes which are driven through the first layer offabric and concrete. The result of this might be to cause the nails orspikes to work out and leave perforations through which sea worms orother harmful agencies might penetrate to the core; but this iseffectually prevented by the one or more layers of fabric and concretewhich cover the nails or spikes. The natural taper of the core serves tocheck any tendency to creep, which an imperfectly applied wrapper mighthave, as any downward movement of the core in the wrapper would at oncebind the two so tightly that further creeping would be impossible.

The form of piling shown in Fig. 1 is more especially designed toprotect the wooden piling from the attack of sea worms and the like,although a material strengthening of the pile is at the same time givenby the wrapper. In the form of piling shown in Fig. 2 the protection ofthe wooden center is likewise secured but the primary object of thisform is to obtain a material increase in the strength of the pile.

In certain localities Where it is necessary to use piling ofextraordinary length, which by reason of its great length tapers to suchthinness as to be materially weakened at the thin end, it is customaryto increase the strength at the thin end by lagging. By employing theprinciple illus trated in Fig. 3 this necessity is obviated as .two ormore shorter lengths of piling can be joined in that way to produce apile of any desired length.

While T have shown the flushing pipe 23 only in the form of pilingrepresented in Fig. 2, it may nevertheless be employed in the forms ofpiling shown in the other figures when desired. Furthermore the fiushinconduit may be omitted in the form shown in Fig. 2, if desired.

In docks and bridges constructed with the improved form of pile hereinshown, the clamps rest mostly upon the upper edge of the wrapper, sothat any tendency of the wood core to rot between high and low watermarks is not especially harmful, particularly if the reinforcing bars 25are present.

The term concrete is not employed in a specific sense to indicate anyparticular kind of cementitious or concreted material, but asused by merefers broadly to any suitable form of material which may be employed inthe manner described to form a protective or strengthening wrapper forthe wooden center of the pile. As an example I may refer to a concreteformed of Portland cement, sand and stone.

1 do not claim in this application the use of all the nails or spikesfor securing the wrapper to the center, disposed wholly beneath an outerlayer of mesh, as the same is more clearly disclosed and will be claimedin my co-pending application filed on July 29th, 1909, Serial No.4%,951, entitled Structural members.

What I claim is- 1. A pile comprising a wooden center, and a wrappersuitably secured thereto consisting of a plurality of alternate layersof metal fabric and concrete and reinforcing bars or rods embedded inthe concrete.

2. A pile comprising a wooden center, a wrapper of a plurality ofalternate layers of metal fabric and concrete suitably secured andcontinuously wound thereon, and reinforcing bars or rods embedded in thewrapper.

3. A pile comprising a wooden center in 9 a plurality of lengthsdisposed end to end, and a reinforced concrete wrapper .inclosing same,said lengths being fixedly secured together.

4-. A pile comprising a wooden center in 1 a plurality of lengthsdisposed end to end, and a wrapper inclosing same, consisting ofreinforced concrete and reinforcing rods or bars embedded in thewrapper, said lengths being fixedly secured together.

5. A pile comprising a plurality of lengths of wooden piling disposedend to end, reinforcing bars or rods surrounding the adjacent ends, anda suitably secured wrapper consisting of a plurality of layers of metalfabric and concrete continuously Wound thereon and fixedly securing thelengths of piling together.

6. A pile comprising a plurality of lengths of Wooden piling disposedend to end, reinforcing bars or rods surrounding the adjacent ends, anda suitably secured Wrapper consisting of a plurality of alternate layersof metal fabric and concrete continuously Wound thereon fixedly securingthe lengths of piling together and forming a substantially even outsidesurface for the pile.

7 A pile comprising a Wooden core in a plurality of lengths disposed endto end With butt joints, and a reinforced concrete Wrapper inclosingsame, said lengths being fixedly secured together.

8. A pile comprising a Wooden center-in a plurality of lengths disposedend to end with butt joints, and a Wrapper inclosing same consisting ofreinforced concrete and reinforcing rods or bars embedded in theWrapper, said lengths being fixedly secured together.

9. A pile comprising a plurality of lengths of Wooden piling disposedend to end With butt joints, reinforcing rods or bars surrounding theadjacent ends, and a suitably secured Wrapper consisting of a pluralityof alternate layers of metal fabric and concrete continuously woundthereon and fixedly securing the lengths of piling together. i

10. A pile comprising a plurality of lengths of Wooden piling disposedend to end With butt joints, a suitably secured Wrapper consisting ofaplurality of layers of metal fabric and concrete continuously Woundthereon, and reinforcing bars or rods embedded in said Wrapper Where'the lengths of piling are joined, said Wrapper adapted to fixedlysecure the lengths of Wooden piling together and provide a substantiallyeven outside surface for the pile.

JOHN W. RIPLEY. 1

WVitnesses:

OGTAVIUS KNIGHT, HARRY E. KNIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

